More details emerge on how the Xiaomi Windows 10 preview will be distributed

Having dropped something of a bombshell early this morning, we've now got a little more information from Xiaomi as to how owners of its Mi4 smartphone will get hold of the Windows 10 preview build. Naturally it'll be a more involved process that for current Windows Phones and will involve downloading and installing a full ROM pack that will be made available through Xiaomi's forums.

"Wanna try out the latest features of Windows on your Mi 4? Stay tuned and we will release the ROM Pack soon in the MIUI forum. Always believe something wonderful is about to happen. "

The forum guys are also running a quick poll and so far there's a good reaction to this news and plenty wanting to try it out. If you have, or are now going to get a Mi4, the MIUI forums are the place to set up shop in the coming weeks. We still don't know when, but it's exciting stuff nevertheless.

Oh, and here's what Windows 10 looks like on an actual, real life Mi4. Hot.

Reader comments

More details emerge on how the Xiaomi Windows 10 preview will be distributed

Well I have been reading the posts on their forum and seems alot of people over there are excited about this new rom. As in wanting to install it. As in wanting it for more builds of the phone. As in applauding Microsoft for their "Windows Everywhere" concept..

Seems to be a good marketing move by Microsoft from the reactions by the users of the phone itself, I mean come on, the poll on the forum says 75% will go for windows 10 (based on who participated) does that not say enough? These are Android users wanting to make the switch to windows along with using a new ecosystem.

I'd say this tact has the potential to raise marketshare just by the user reaction so why negative impressions from people?

To much importance is placed on the Chinese market, which by the way is neither competitive nor entirely open.
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The moment the government there decides, Microsoft and/or other companies that represent a clear competition to chinese companies need to go. They could easily be blocked out of the chinese market and their intellectual property sold as if it were created by any company that is Chinese based.
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And Microsoft continues to capitulate to the very government that has raided their offices, pirated their OS and replicated stolen property to the detriment of both Microsoft and it's future as a viable service.
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Yes. China may have a rising market, but none of that matter's if you are limited in what services and products you can distribute. And just as the US is climbing in debt, the Chinese too, are vastly approaching similar restraints, ie, the "new normal."
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Once their housing bubble (just like the US) burst, China's economy will spiral out of control. I have been keeping eye on both their market practices and monetary policies and China's attractive market is merely cosmetic.
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But my point is that Microsoft continues to place a great deal of importance for a nation who's markets are largely governed by a communistic regime. Should the word be sent, Microsoft could be completely frozen out of their market's.
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Microsoft.......please show a little wisdom and dignity.

China, China, China !! Your racism shows in your comment history, your moaning is not going to stop companies from doing business in the second biggest economy of the world, does not matter its communist-capitalistic hybrid, hardcore communist, capitalistic or crony-capitalistic. The USA, China and India are the top 3 economies of the world and will only grow in future, housing bubble, currency bubble notwithstanding!!

so, which apps is this running? if it is a windows rom, it will run the windows store apps. it's actually a good way to get around the carriers. the carriers want android phones because they believe they are easier to sell. if a user can then install windows on the phone, users can get a the phone they want with the os they want on any carrier. wp options are currently limited on most carriers. firmware updates will be interesting. the oems should care what os is running. they just care about sellîng hardware.

I disagree when one says that MS will not just give us the software to play with. Just like Windows 10, no one is playing with it instead MS has got very good insight and fast hand knowledge of what their customer want and would like to see.
The same will apply to wp10 preview of only they can open it up to all Lumias, the feed back will be valuable.
I agree that they should concentrate with us (lumia) first then they can start venturing into other markets. So let wp10 preview doors be open so it flows upstream to 1520 since MS decided to start downstream with low end sets.
MS surprise us.

As much as I hate the idea of Microsoft giving android users something first and WP last. This is actually really awesome. Imagine if it will work with ANY android device! That doesn't seem to far off now. No need to wait for HTC M9 for windows or M9 XL for Windows.

I seem to remember Microsoft saying in the past they were looking at easier ways for manufacturers to create a single phone and sell it with either Android or Windows by just flashing the phone.

Hoping to see this idea across a range of android devices in the future, even though I've been a Windows Phone user since the original release of WP7, and things like this can only be good for the platform

The only way I see this working is OEM on board to unlock any bootloader to allow the OS to be installed, otherwise Android users will need to root their phone and I don't see this happened for carrier branded phones. Still it's a step in the right steps as long as the OS and firmware get supported.

Yup, tired of everyone else getting the Microsoft treatment before die hard windows phone fans and users. Smh! Been waiting for tech preview on my 1520. Good news though.... I really believe Windows 10 is gonna be a whole different beast when its all said and done. Been a user from the very start and ill be here when we rise up and take some market share back! But please Microsoft, treat us like first class users. Stop giving everything to everyone but your own. That's gotta change

Even if this phone gets the preview before more Windows Phones do, people shouldn't feel like they are getting screwed over.

The Technical Preview is more about helping Microsoft build a great OS, and not primarily to give users something new to play with. I hope when android users do get the preview that it will be running fairly smoothly, as you say, they want people to get passionate about Windows 10 and I hope issues don't lead to it being made to look bad (Some will ignore the fact it's a tech preview)

A community of android users like this seems like a good group for a preview in general, a lot of Android users like to tinker with their phones and try out things like this.

Ohh Microsoft you should not be distribute your 'Windows Phone operating system with other devices' Look like Google's Android system, I think people should only buy M.S devices... Very very very very bad

Yup, they'll loose Nokia completely one day and MS is not doing good in hardware, especially they are not familiar in these kind of design, plus software might let them cover more markets, they want the Windows in the market bit not really Lumia in the market, wasn't they!

Android don't make phones... I think this is perfect idea from Microsoft we need to turn phones into devices like computers where we pick the hardware configuration we want and then select the OS that sits on top of it independent of the hardware.

Google does make the Nexus although there are speculations these will be killed this year. Side note: When others compare MS hardware success to Android, these should be the devices/sales referenced. Anyone know how well Nexus phones sell in comparison to Lumias?

This is HUGE. Imagine if every Android phone manufacturer releases a Windows 10 variant of their devices this summer, when the new version of the OS launches. If apps and marketing are there, consumers will follow.

Lol. We know the next update will come to more devices. I rolled back to 8.1 on my 635 because there were not enough new things to put up with the test issues. Gave good feedback for a couple of weeks though.
Anyways, be patient until it is worth getting a version of W10

Okay, I get it. He is just making a point that instead of finding ways to make Windows run on Android hardware, Microsoft should iron out all the low points of Windows in comparison to competing platforms. Well, I just can't understand what's up with all those "Z"s.

My experience of Playing games like "The Love of Money" disagrees with you. Can only use the top of bottom menu icons even when I swipe away the action bar. I understand it is probably the developer but Microsoft should form a way around it to better the experience.

What would be the point of that? MS wouldn't have access to the Google Play store if they made their own version of Android and the Android OS on a technical level is pretty ineffecient, unstable, and insecure compared to WP. Basically, it would be all cons and few if any pros for MS.

"Through a new program with Xiaomi, one of the top smartphone distributors in the world, a select group of Xiaomi Mi 4 power users will be invited to help test Windows 10 and contribute to its future release later this year. These power users will have the opportunity to download the Windows 10 Technical Preview – installing it and providing their feedback to Microsoft."

There isn't much more than that to go on, but one thing seems clear. For some people, somewhere, there will be a Xiaomi phone running the Windows 10 Technical Preview. And that has our interest piqued.

Update: In a statement to The Next Web, Microsoft announced:

As part of the Windows Insider Program, Microsoft will partner with Xiaomi to offer Windows 10 free downloads to a select group of Xiaomi Mi4 users. Xiaomi Mi4 users will get the ability to flash their phones with the new Windows 10 OS and provide feedback to Xiaomi and Microsoft on their experience. This partnership will allow Xiaomi and Microsoft to get direct user feedback and continue to improve the experience for China. Microsoft is thrilled to see Xiaomi embracing Windows 10 and offering this great value to their customers. We're excited to see the feedback we receive from this audience.

Oh? Is that what Ubuntu OS is? What about Firefox OS? Tizen? WP doesn't run on magical fairy startdust you doofus. All phone devices share an ARM processor, it's just about writing a kernel to interact with their modules and compile WP, and it'll run on any ARM based device.Goddamn you're dumb, Qausar90.

MS finally figured out a way to crack into the Chinese smartphone market which is 90% Android. With the amnesty granted to the pirated Windows users, the W10 conversion pace will be explosive. It could mean 300-400 millions converted W10 users by the end of 1st year in China alone and 800 millions on the world wide base. Developers will climb over themselves to join the Universal apps development. They are in effect will develope apps for WP without targeting WP. When you are using W10 day in and day out, over time you would find it making no sense to continue using non-W10 phones. Mi 4 will make a perfect transition phone. Other OEMs will follow soon. MS could also offer a Lumia model with the custom ROM in order to help the Android users to make a smooth transition over to the W10 ecosystem. Some people might be concerned about the negative impact to WP. It won't happen because you can leave Android but you can't leave W10.

I chose Windows Phone because Microsoft treats me like a big kid and let's me make my own decisions about how I want my Start Screen to look. I'm fond of having settings right there. I don't really use Live Folders.

They're awesome for those who need them, but I don't need them, and I still think the gear looks ugly. Shouldn't be a hard fix for Microsoft. Afterall, is there anyone who /prefers/ the obnoxiously large gear?